BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Robert's Rules of Order may have saved Birmingham school Superinten­dent Craig Witherspoon's job Tuesday during a contentious meeting in which two separate motions were made to fire the beleaguered superintendent.

Birmingham Board of Education President Edward Maddox made the first motion, which was seconded by Alana Edwards, to terminate Wither­spoon's contract in 60 days and place him on administrative leave immedi­ately.

But board member April Williams pointed out that the president isn't al­lowed to make a motion under the rules, so Maddox withdrew that mo­tion.

Later in the meeting, the issue was raised again, this time by Edwards, who made the same motion Maddox had made earlier. Williams told her she was out of order because a vote to fire

Witherspoon had never been placed on the agenda.

Board attorney Tom Stewart said terminating the superintendent's contract "can be on a future agenda, but . . . it's probably out of order tonight." The board took no further action.

Shortly before the members moved to fire Witherspoon, the board had taken two 5-4 votes to reject contract extensions proposed for the superintendent -- first a three-year extension, then one for two years.

Board members Phyllis Wyne and Williams called for investigations into the school board for a possible violation of the state's open meetings law.

"I move this board be investigated both collectively and individually for possible violation of the open meetings law by holding secret and collaborative meetings, especially after Mr. Maddox's comment that 'y'all left me hanging,' " Wyne told the board, adding that a third party should conduct the investigation.

Williams said the Alabama Ethics Commission should investigate.

Jefferson County District Attorney Brandon Falls said Tuesday he was unaware of open meeting concerns at the school system but would be glad to look into any allegations brought to his office. Hundreds of business people, civic leaders and community residents attended the meeting, which required two overflow areas because the crowd couldn't fit into board chambers.

The board initially had called a special meeting for 5 p.m. on Good Friday to discuss Witherspoon's contract, with some board members saying his time as the system's leader needed to end. When the news came out about the scheduled meeting, Witherspoon's supporters almost immediately began circulating online petitions and set up a rally.

A little more than two hours before the Friday meeting was to begin, Maddox canceled it.

Dozens of people spoke Tuesday in favor of keeping Witherspoon, including members of the Birmingham City Council, who had passed a resolution in support of Witherspoon at the morning council meeting; Mayor William Bell; and state school board member Yvette Richardson, whose district includes Birmingham.

Richardson attended the meeting with state Superintendent Tommy Bice, who shook his head during several contentious points of the meeting.

"I came here as an interested observer; I leave here as a concerned observer," he said after the meeting.

Richardson told the board she, too, was concerned.

"We have been observing, and I had to get up and say that we will be going back to Montgomery on tomorrow to determine the relationship between the state Department of Education and the Birmingham city school system," she told the board.

Board member Brian Giattina asked Bice to step in.

"I think what we see here is why we need immediate help," he said. "We as a board cannot function and serve our community. We need help, Dr. Bice. We need help."

Bice said he would attend the next board meeting in two weeks and was encouraged by what he sees as an invitation by some members of the board to help Birmingham move forward.

Witherspoon remained calm during the meeting and left before reporters could talk to him. His attorney, former federal Judge U.W. Clemon, sat in the front row during the meeting and said afterward that it was not what he expected.

"Apparently, some had planned to have a crucifixion on Good Friday," he said. "That effort fell through, but at least two tried to have another crucifixion today. It's a sad day in this city."

Clemon said Witherspoon will not resign and will continue to "abide by his contract, or until the board decides otherwise."

Witherspoon's contract ends June 30, 2013, but he had asked that the board discuss an early extension of the contract and asked the board to give him a decision by March 31.

Board members Edwards, Maddox, Ford, Belcher and Volker have long expressed dissatisfaction with Witherspoon, saying he communicates poorly with the board, employees and community.

Edwards chastised members of the audience -- many of them business leaders -- for not being there when she reached out to them.

"This is amazing. When I went out eight months ago and asked for help with this board, nobody helped me. Nobody," she said. "You allowed all this hype, this snowball effect, when all of this could have been avoided."

She said she reached out to Witherspoon "10 times, maybe even more" to talk to her about issues and questions she had, but he was no help.

"Next time people come to you for help, listen," she told the audience. "Don't wait for things to blow up."